Rumana Ashraf, USA
In some circles, there is a misconception that Ahmadi Muslims interpret the Holy Quran in such a divergent sense, that common verses and passages from the Holy Book yield a different meaning to them.
The truth is that while non-Ahmadis believe the verses of the Holy Quran are always straight-forward and strict, we believe the verses have heavy meanings and underlying messages associated with a context.
There are countless examples of when non-Ahmadi Muslims have taken verses of the Holy Quran literally and have not pondered for more meaning or explanation. It is with this thinking that extremists have been able to falsely justify their violent actions with the Holy Quran, claiming that the black and white text directly instructed them to commit such horrific and barbaric actions, when in fact it does not. Additionally, these individuals go on to say that Ahmadi Muslims misinterpret the Holy Quran by stretching the Arabic text to mean more than what they see.
However, in chapter 47, verse 25, Allah says:
اَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُوۡنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ اَمۡ عَلٰي قُلُوۡبٍ اَقۡفَالُهَا
“Will they not, then, ponder over the Quran, or is it that on the hearts are their locks?”
Then in chapter 3, verse 8, of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty says:
هُوَ الَّذِيۡۤ اَنۡزَلَ عَلَيۡكَ الۡكِتٰبَ مِنۡهُ اٰيٰتٌ مُّحۡكَمٰتٌ هُنَّ اُمُّ الۡكِتٰبِ وَ اُخَرُ مُتَشٰبِهٰتٌ
“He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book,in it there are verses that are decisive in meaning – they are the basis of the Book – and there areothers that are susceptible of different interpretations […]”.
It is ludicrous to assume that what is simply written is how it should be understood, when in fact God Almighty has blessed each word of the Holy Quran with deep meaning and has encouraged us to delve into the truth with open hearts.
Many Quranic verses are metaphorical, and hold messages and values that are meant to be thought about for lifetimes. It is a book that will both mystify and provide answers for generations to come simply because of the heavy weight of knowledge that it carries. One such example is that the Holy Quran is filled with countless scientific evidence to support modern theories and ideologies. In this modern age, it is known that the Earth’s innermost core is composed of iron. This was a fact discovered in 1936 by seismologist Inge Lehmann.
If one were to take the Holy Quran and open its contents, one would notice that there are 114 chapters in total. Now, divide the number 114 by two, splitting the entire book by its chapters directly in the centre, similar to the centre of the Earth. The quotient of 114/2 is 57. If one were to open the Holy Quran to chapter 57, which is the precise middle of the book, that chapter is titled “al-Hadid” – “Iron”. The centre of the Earth is made of iron. The centre of the Holy Quran, al-Hadid, translates to iron.
Although this fact was officially discovered and recorded in 1936, the Holy Quran had technically revealed the concept first when the book was first revealed in 609 CE. This example proves to be just a simple point to the argument that the Holy Quran is meant to be thoroughly researched, pondered over and dissected.
There are numerous miracles, stories, values, ideas and answers to be read and read again in an effort to understand and ponder over. Therefore, the allegation from non-Ahmadi Muslims claiming that Ahmadi Muslims misinterpret the Holy Quran is baseless and without foundation. It is in its mystifying complexity and depth that we find the Holy Quran timelessly beautiful.